Andrew Hicks

Why do Thais know so little about the geography of China and India, if these countries exerted a strong influence on Thai culture? What percentage of Thai people know a lot about the geography of other countries?

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Wild over-generalisations coming up! Please forgive me for them.

Firstly, Thailand is a middle kingdom... the centre of the world, so why look outwards.

Second, Thais don't 'do' maps. Many have no idea of world geography.

'England? That near Australia?' asks my barber.

I taught a class of kids English for a time and used a world map as a way of teaching 'where' and 'there' and perhaps a little geography. They had absolutely zero knowlege of world gepgraphy but I was a bit shocked when after some weeks I called a girl out to show me Africa and she pointed to the Pacific.

In all this time she hadn't figured out that blue meant sea!

Third, I sometimes feel that Thailand is on another planet so maybe that's why they know nothing of this one.

Ouch! Sorry! I didn't really mean it.

Personally, I wont give a dam_n if I get slapped by a women and them not expecting a equal slap in return. They have the god given rights of equality and yet they expect us to take the slap like a "gentlemen" and get away with it. And not to mention the fking crowd will go against you if you gave a return slap and get away with it.

Not only this, but for instance, if you did not offer your friend (women) to hold her heavy items, you are instantly looked down upon by fellow friends and the girl herself. Since when is not offering any kind of assistance (open doors, carry her stuff, letting her get things first) considered a taboo??

Need an insight into this, I've reached several points where I encounter this and a similar situation. Regardless if it's a slap or a shove.

Note: I've never ever slapped a lady before, nor engaged in physical aggression. I've always been a kind person to ladies and offering help and taking sacrifices for them. However, it came to a point where these things are taken for granted by them.

Return a slap from a lady?

Never!

I can't have been a gentleman.

Return a slap from a woman?

Well, that might be different!

All highly pathetical of course.

My 'O' retirement visa is due for extension/renewal in October.

For various personal reasons I need to do this reasonably early and not at the last moment.

Can anyone tell me how early they will accept an application for renewal?

(I have for example been turned away when making a 90 day declaration of residence as it was not within two weeks of the end of the period.)

Thanks and apologies... this info is probably here somewhere but my TOT IP STAR internet connection is so useless it crashes every two minutes and searching is impossible.

Andrew

Is there a list of these abbreviations anywhere on this site? Or elsewhere for that matter!

I think i know most of them but it must be confusing for newcomers to TV.

Thanks.

TOT, TT&T, PAD, PM, PMT, OP, EU, TIT, TITV, TV.

Transvestite? Television?

QED.

The bar girls aren't calling you "Darling" (English)..... they are called you "NaLing" (Thai -> Monkey Face)

You wont find that on Wikipedia !!!

Or if they're Suay from Surin etc, it could be dak ling which means monkeys bottom. Take your choice.

Rash yes, constant irritation, a terrible itch that only gets worse when you leave Thai shores.

You have an impetuous urge to return for treatment, for deep heat, for the rubbing of oils and unguents. You've got it bad. It's changed your life.

So how did you first contract impethaigirl?

What are your symptoms? Are they serious?

Is there a cure and do you even want to be cured?

This condition needs to be identified and documented so tell us all, spill the beans.

And where better than on Thaivisa.

If this were a worry, I wouldn't have a place to eat.

You in Asia?

As restaurant toilets in Asia go, Thai ones are not too bad.

Cleaning usually means just flooding the place but at least they don't usually stink.

Half the problem is there being inadequate supply of toilets so they're just over used and orrible. Where are the F & B health inspectors? (Hollow laughter!)

Why am I writing about this anyway???

Please post a link to the source of this info otherwise it is not credible.

I think.... never mind. Why bother?

Because Thailand's future hangs in the balance and that matters to me very much.

The street violence and bloodshed that has occurred in the past casts a long shadow.

With the steet protests over the last couple of years, the police and military have been admirable in their restraint and not repeating the earlier disasters.

It is however a major probem for the present government as they have an obligation to maintain order and continue the machinery of government. I suppose the PAD wants to create such a crisis and chaos that the military walks in again and restores order.

What possible good would another coup do though? It would just be back to square one.

Stability even under an elected government that one may loathe is surely better than the upheaval that seems to continue indefinitely in Thailand.

Training of the police/military is velvet-gloved riot and crown control could have been of considerable importance but it's now probably too late. I'll bet they're pretty rough and ready on this score and not equipped to deal with the current crisis.

I also think of Tienanmen and how the stand off with the students and the final crack down to end the fear of disorder did so much to set China's image and progress back by decades.

There could be parallels and the next days will be pivotal.

Bunny rabbits - not the playboy type either -. Are there any in Thailand? I have yet to see one.

My parents in law had a fluffy one in a cage but I think he ate it, like he did when our guinea pig died.

I don't think they're indigenous here though.

Weren't they introduced into Australia and they ate all the kangaroos... or have I got that wrong?

I'm sure many of you have heard the voices overs for foriegn movies dubbed in Thai. It always seems to be the same ppl putting on different voices and they've been doing it for years now. It can sound quite funny, especially when the laugh or put on kid's voices.

Does anyone have info on the 'voice over' ppl?

The same people? You mean there's more than one of them?

I think it's just one guy who's swallowing his tonsils and being the hero and the ancient king with a long beard and the slimy lothario all at the same time.

Okay so there's a woman as well. He can't do the ladies yet.

I wonder how it sounds to the Thais.

Maybe they're not too bothered though. It's only foreign rubbish!

I've been to Robinson's and they don't have any. I was told to come back at the begining of next year!!

I went to Emporium and they want 1,200 bht.

How hard can it be?

Cheers

How hard? Very hard!

At least they have desk diaries available even at a price. Pocket diaries do not exist and it's become my standard Xmas present from family in UK.

In Thai there's no distinct word for yes or no. Is this because they'll never give you a clear answer?

In Thailand they obviously think diaries are a rare perversion. Is this because they never ever plan anything and stick with it?

Cynically yours...

Hi, wonder whether anyone has experience in this and can advise.

I'm planning to marry my Thai girlfriend in Thailand later this year. The plan is to then apply for settlement in the UK. The intention is that she works following settlement.

She suggested arranging a prenup. While doing this is a relatively simple process in Thailand and it is a legal document in that country, as we shall be living in the UK where I have some modest assets I wonder whether I should arrange for a UK prenup to be produced instead of the Thai equivalent. If I do the latter then I understand that parties have to have a number of weeks to consider the document and take legal advce. This may not be easy to do remotely ( ie me in the UK, girlfriend Thailand). Additionally in the event of a divorce conducted in Thailand I guess that a UK prenup wouldn't be considered.

I understand the lack of legal standing of prenups in UK law but that they are being coming more influential in divorces.

Appreciate any help.

Movie stars love'em but what do you want a prenup to do for you? Protect your assets in the case of a divorce?

But you say you don't have much. In any event in Engllish law the broad presumption is that assets you bring to the marriage you take with you on divorce... is it not? I studied this far too long ago.

I'm amazed she asked for a pre-nup. Why? Does she have assets she wants to proytect in case of a divorce or what?

Remember that in English law marriage revokes an existing will so if you die hideously while making the groom's speech at the reception, she takes all your assets. If you want some to go to your old muvver then you need to sign a new will before you open the champagne.

This surely is the key step that's important.

And be nice to her and give her most of your dosh anyway so you don't have to divorce anyway.

I just wanted to start a thread to say about nice things Thai people have done for me, I wonder how many post we will get in before someone starts having a go at the locals.....

The hire car I was driving got a problem up in Issan and before I could even get down and have a look, 3 people had stopped and one, a mechanic, fixed it for free, he didn't even want some beer money (but I insisted).

A Thai friend invited my family to eat and he turned up with wrapped presents for them for Thai New Year.

My Sister in law arranges all the stuff I need doing up in Issan, when I was having land prepared for my house I was out of the country and she took care of everything.

When I was in an accident in Nakorn Phanom at least 3 by standers came to the cop shop as witnesses against the A Holes who hit me.

Who'se next? Think nice thoughts

One night my old jeep ground to a halt in the dark on a remote road in Surin province.

A motorbike stopped and we guessed the jeep was out of fuel.

He disappeared and came back with a plastic bag full of diesel. He cleverly poured it into the tank. I paid him for the fuel but he wouldn't take a thank you tip.

Ten minutes later I stopped to call Cat to tell her why I was running late, and there he was at my shoulder.

He had followed me going away from home just to make sure I was okay.

This latter was really generous I thought because it was a kindness that I would most probably never have discovered.

Kon Thai jai dee!

Have you been to Tesco or Carrefour?

Have you seen the price of a good old cheese?

What a bloody disgrace!

I can buy a kilo of "pad krapow" for 100 baht, but a 50g block of ye good olde cheddar is going to cost more than I paid for my house... damned foreigners!

You can buy cheese??!! So lucky!

I wrote a book about the rigours of living in a village in Surin but my greatest deprivation relates to cheese.

Big C and Tesco in Surin town an hour away only stock the disgusting processed stuff in slices made of rubber. Makro has cheddar which isn't outrageously priced but they only stock it in two kilo packs. It'll have gone 'orrible or I'll have had a coronary infarct before I've internalised all of that.

Where do you live that you can get cheese??

TIT surely!

Last weekend, I was asked to teach an intensive course to 4th year, university Sociolgy Students.

I taught them about describing one's ethnicity but first asked them to fill in a group questionaire as to what was polite to say in Thailand.

I found the results interesting but actually thought as much:-

1 - Black - polite

2 - Kaek(Indian) - impolite

3 - Jaek (Chinese) - impolite

4 - Farang - impolite

PLease don't embarass yourselves by calling yourself a farang.

Interesting but never conclusive.

It perhaps suggests that all references for foreigners must of necessity be demeaning, 'black' being the odd one out. Perhaps this is because Thais have an insensitivity towards issues of race in this context... hence locally produced 'Negro' hair dye and 'Black Man' mops... motto, "Think Cleaning, Think Black Man". The company is aware enough though to export under other brand names, though in Thailand what he hel_l if it's offensive.

Darkie toothpaste changed it's name to Darlie though. Why not 'Blakeman' mops. Thai buyers wouldn't notice the difference.

The use of 'farang' is very variable. There are many ugly farang swilling around Thailand that earn a bad reputation, but on the other hand farang sometimes have considerable prestiege hre. The overtones depend entirely on the speaker and vary from time to time.

The other day at a remote temple, some Thais came round a corner and openly said, 'Tock jai, farang!' They were as benign as could be and I'm sure used a term that to them had no adverse implications.

Farang we remain.

We would like to drive our car into Cambodia from Thailand. Me and my thai girl want to drive to Angkor Wat, and I would like to ask if some of you have done the same before?

Can we drive in to Cambodia?

If we can  not, can you help me with how and where to go? Where to stay for lets say 2-3 day? Other thing`s to see close to Angkor Wat?

(Sorry for my english )

What does your 'Thai girl' think about driving into Cambodia? She must think you're mad as Thais often think it's a den of iniquity. My Thai girl and I would never even think of taking our own vehicle. Go by all means but not that way.

Friends have driven into Laos and lived to tell the tale but even then their vehicle was not insured.

Near Ankor is the Tonle Sap, the Great Lake and if there aren't enough temples at Ankor for you, go further to Banteay Srei for yet more. The journey's nice through classic scenes of rural agriculture.

Fly to Phnom Penh and take a river boat all the way to Siem Reap. A great experience.

My landlady's mother passed away last weekend. I haven't seen my landlady since but expect to soon. What's the proper way of offering condolences after a death in the family? Is there anything I should say, not say? Anything special to give?

Send a reef ( not sure how to spell it - the circle of flowers thing ) to the Wat where she is. Attend the evening session at the temple. She will typically have 3 to 7 days lying there where visitors show up and participate in the prayers.

Nice idea sending a wreath... maybe to the house. Money's also appreciated as a funeral is expensive... and they'll probably put the rent up.

What to say depends on language. I always get Cat to coach me on my Thai for this sort of moment. Sia jai, kit theung maak and that sort of thing.

Life... nobody gets out alive anyway!

Not if you have ever been to Italy or France.

I have, and always thought they had some sense of where the road was, but here,I am new to Thailand, but i already know that I have to look 4 ways on a one way street before crossing it.

Especially when it comes to pedestrians, the best drivers are in the US of A. Thinking of their liability policies I guess.

Here they'll accelerate at you on the zebra crossing and scatter pedestrians like leaves.

Otherwise on four wheels I don't find Thai drivers too bad. On two wheels they're atrocious.

Schools are the place to inculcate proper standards, from bicycles upwards, but the opportunity seems to be missed.

As for the all time worst drivers... try West Africa.

The Thai seem not to have any concern at all whether someone feels excluded. Again, not because of rudeness, simply because it doesn't cross their mind. There is no social concern for anyone other than Thai. A result of a closed society I'd think.

I have been here 20 years and I find the exact opposite.

Thais almost always try to include us and make us feel welcome even when it is a pain in the butt for them. I have had this happen over and over again in different circumstances and it had nothing to do with money.

That one of the reasons that I love to live here. I almost never feel lonely.

I have to wonder what you are doing to get such a different reaction than most foreigners that I know.

Yes, Thais are considerate and work hard to include us in every respect except perhaps one.

They can be embarrassed to chat in English, too lazy or simply do not realise that conversation is a necessary part of social interaction.

Thais will often eat in silence and sometimes object if you try to talk. Any chat must be at as superficial level as possible. Anything serious is not acceptable.

Phrases like, 'Farang talk too much' and 'too serious' must be familiar to all old hands here.

Thais who are totally at ease with me in English and ready to talk will nonetheless revert to Thai if another Thai appears. I am then marginalised and left to stew and find it hard to get a word in edgeways.

Our idea of conversation and their's may be different. Anything of any substance could threaten or confront and so is avoided.

Thai culture is mysterious and unknowable and one wonders what's going on under the surface... if there is anything that is.

(I didn't really mean that last swipe!)

in our house the most heinous crimes are committed on a daily basis but the police doesn't take any action. this is the criminal:

I think the police are right for once.

Lucky it's a German sausage and not a shepherd.

Andrew

I am not sure if this is an appropriate topic for a forum, but I'll talk about it anyway. My father is very sick back in my home country and he might not make it. He had complete heart block while out walking and his heart stopped for an unknown amount of time. It is now almost four days and he is still unconcious. They have no idea if his brain is damaged. He is on full life support in ICU. His medical team don't feel too confident about his chances even though my father is only sixty. His consultant was asked if myself and my brother should return quickly, but the counsultant feels that if there is to be recovery then it will be very slow and so there is no need for us to rush back.

I am a nurse and have a good idea about what is going on, but being so far away makes it hard to know what is really happening. It has all happened so fast that I don't really know what I should be doing. It all feels a bit unreal. I have just being going to work as normal. I have decided not to rush back because I have a young son here and responsibilities and don't really see what use I would be to anyone. There is also the financial worries of the trip, and I don't want to let my school down.

I am not looking for any sympathy or lectures, but just wondered what others have done in similar situations. I will likely regret putting such thougts on a general forum, but I am sort of working on autopilot at the moment and I always feel better writing about things than talking about them.

Really very sorry to hear your news, especially as sixty is too young to be struck down like that.

Nobody could or should tell you what to do, but I think you are doing the right thing by not rushing back. You have responsibilities at both ends and you can best discharge both of these by staying put for a bit.

Your Dad's not presently in this world even if you do go back now, but perhaps you could ask yourself what he would say about it if he were. I bet he'd just be really sorry and say he doesn't want to mess up your life more than necessary. You've got to be ready to get on a plane pretty quick though if he comes out of his coma.

I have just had a similar conundrum with a very close relative getting seriously ill in UK. I was under pressure to go straight back, as if I did not have any life or responsibilities here in Thailand. In this case a month or two's delay was not going to make any difference at that end but made it easier for everyone at this end. So I delayed going back but stayed in UK for three months doing what I could, and when I'd done all I could do, headed back here. Even so I had severe criticism from one family member for returning to Thailand at all. People with closed minds will criticise too easily and you may need a thick skin.

I felt that it was only I who knew all the circumstances and so could decide what was right, and you are in exactly the same position.

Choke dee khrap.

Andrew

Well we discuss crime quite a bit - but what about Justice - What are your views on the Thai Justice System?

I am relieved that I have not yet found myself at the mercy of Thai justice but I follow the press and have a few observations to make.

First of all justice and a well functioning legal system is immensely expensive and Thailand does not devote sufficient resources to it.

Secondly, this is not a society where the rule of law is paramount. Power derives from hierarchy and wealth and to a degree grows out of the barrell of a gun.

Thirdly, assumptions regarding justice are fundmentally different. Here society is everything and the individual is secondary. While in the West there is a strong presumption of innocence and it is though better that nine guilty men are acquitted than that a single innocent person is convicted. In Asia generally the collective interest demands that you nail the nine, even if occasionally the innocent man is wrongly convicted.

Everywhere a person is innocent until proven guilty but when exactly is that guilt determined? In imperial China and under Mao the 'police' would investigate and catch the criminal, thus determining his guilt. He would then be dragged before the mandarin and summarily sentence... no not-guilty pleas, no defence lawyers. The police had decided on his guilt already. The primary purpose of this brief hearing was to see to what extent he repented his crimes, thus to decide how harsh a punishment he deserved to bring him back into line.

Elements of this approach remain strong throughout Asia. That's what makes it more acceptable for the police to go in and gun down suspected drug runners as it is they who determine guilt.

I often think that when western critics have a go at Thai justice and the Thais are defensive of their system, it is these fundamental assumptions that make us have such divergent views on the matter.

Are individual rights fundamental or is it the collective interest of society that is paramount, even if sometimes individual rights must be sacrificed?

My own view of my own British justice is that in putting the individual first, that best serves the collective interest of society... but then making that work is extremely expensive and perhaps only a developed society can afford it.

We talk much of promoting democracy throughout the world, but in truth I think it's the rule of law that's even more fundamental and in this respect many developing nations still have a long way to go to throw off the feudal past.

What is up with The Nation newspaper? In 2003 I changed from the Bangkok Post to The Nation for home delivery. At the time the Post seemed to be pandering to the elected government and The Nation seemed to be more balanced in their news reporting. Now it appears The Nation is going through hard times, reporting just a small portion of the news, just little sports and they actually give most of the paper away for free during the weekdays. I've been pretty loyal and supported The Nation for a long time but it looks like a sinking ship and it's time to change newspapers again.

Does anyone know what happened?

I too preferred The Nation for a time but I think the decline is due to assive financial problems in the Nation Group as a whole. I believe they made some foolish moves relating to their building and premises and loss vast sums of money. They are now trying to cut costs in every way possible. I often found that The Nation was sold out on the stands in Bangkok well before The Bangkok Post. This was because they could not afford to print more and risk them being unsold and returned.

Now horrible things are happening to their staff inclding expat subeditors... being laid off and selectively re-employed on poor free lance terms. The quality is sure to slide.

Repositioning as a business paper with the free Xpress is going for broke, but newspapers are not that profitable and proprietors often have to carry them when advertising revenue is thin. It seems that Nation Group cannot afford to at the moment and I wonder what the future will bring.

Just read this today, http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D92KLN780.htm

Can you still live in Thailand after reading this?

Half of all food produced on farms near 70% of all cities in the developing world don't have access to water so they irrigate thier crops with untreated human waste.

Surely this includes Thailnd.

I really wonder if I can now live in a developing country. I mean, drop a lettuce in your, no, another man's toilet, wash it off then serve it up. Could you eat it?

I'm looking forward to the posters who will say, "hey, don't worry about it, I've never been sick" but really? You don't mind?

I love living in Asia, but not at the expense of eating a daily diet of Somchai shi.t.

Any farmers out there like to enlighten us as to how widespread this is in Thailand.

The classic picture of Chinese farmers with two watering cans on a pole over their shoulders... they're pouring the night's pee and poo on the pak choi.

I often wonder in Thailand what becomes of the slurry that the little old tankers pump out of our toilet sump when it's full. I hope it is used but not until it has been left to become dry and sterile.

There are of course linguistic confusions and sea food is one of the biggest causes of stomach upsets.

Crab is Thai is bpoo. Bpoo/poo, crab/crap.

Moral- always wash your veggies or cook'em well.

I did ask a legit question.The replies were kinda disrespectful. I am in BKK, I dont mind getting to know other people who are not American.Just so happens that Americans tend to bond with Americans rather than,lets say the English.Due to the replies, I am kinda understanding a so called Papirico, why he gets so mad.Am i wrong to think that?.....Let start over, where can you meet nice people in bkk, Americans to South Africans,that are here for good healthy fun, and no BS with bars or bar girls.

You say that "Americans tend to bond with Americans rather than, lets say the English".

As a Brit may I say that I heartily disagree with so wild a generalisation. Having lived on several continents over many years I find that Americans have made up the largest contingent of my close friends.

I am critical of Anglo-American foreign policy but my British and American friends take no offense and accept that I can still love my country and theirs.

People take individuals as they come no matter their nationality. Disliking American foreign policy does not mean you dislike America or Americans.

Finally, I accept that there's nothing wrong when abroad to seek out the company of people most like yourself. It's easy and comfortable and only human nature.

So long as you do not draw the wagons around you.